Biker’s death at Longridge leads to fresh blackspot plea

The death of a 53-year-old motorcyclist in Longridge should prompt action to improve safety on the accident blackspot, the town’s county councillor says.

David Bennett was killed in a crash close to Preston Road’s junction with Water Meadows on Sunday, becoming one of many to lose their life on the road.

And Coun David Smith has labelled the road an “accident blackspot” and admits he doesn’t know what can be done to make the road safer.

“It all comes from the traffic in the area,” he said. “We’ve had a glut of developments in the last few years and everyone in them seems to drive from Longridge into Preston.

“There’s been lots of accidents on the road and I even lost a close friend of mine a few years ago.

“I’m not sure what the options are but something needs to be done.”

In May, 26-year-old an driver Jack Byrne was sent to prison after he crashed and killed 80-year-old Longridge resident Ernest Robinson on Preston Road.

Byrne was sentenced to five years in prison - two and a half years for causing death by dangerous driving and another two and a half for drugs offences.

And in 2007, 18-year-old Matthew Hesketh was killed and Kieran Wood, also 18, was severely injured when the car in which they were passengers was involved in a crash with a taxi on the road.

Matthew’s best friend Adam Catterall was given a £1,000 fine for careless driving after overtaking two cars on a bend before smashing into an oncoming taxi.

And Coun Smith has called on Lancashire County Council to look at the road after Mr Bennett, who lived in the Bamber Bridge area, was killed at 5.30pm when his Suzuki Bandit motorbike was involved in a crash with a Mercedes C220 car.

“The road is so busy cars turn the wrong way to go up the road round the roundabout and back down because it’s too busy to join the traffic,” coun Smith said.

“I don’t think this is the last incident you’ll hear about on this road, unless something is done.

“I’ve lived in the area 40 years and I’ve never seen traffic this bad, something needs to happen but I don’t know what.”

Police would now like to speak to anybody who saw the collision, or who saw either vehicle shortly before it happened.

Sgt Finn Quainton, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “First and foremost we would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the motorcyclist.

“Our thoughts are with them at this incredibly sad time.

“We are now determined to piece together exactly what occurred.

“We would like to hear from anybody who saw the incident or saw either vehicle in the moments before the collision occurred.”

Anybody with any information about the latest crash is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log number 1003 of July 2.